2021 Nissan Rogue vs 2022 Chevrolet Equinox

The 2021 Nissan Rogue showcased handsome new styling with a more technical appearance, looking more like an SUV than a car. It featured dark gray plastic cladding covering its lower perimeter, bold, simulated skid plates, and lower door protection, which exuded ruggedness, particularly on the SUV's back bumper. Clean LED lighting elements, a prominent V-Motion grille, and proper proportioning gave the Rogue a modern aesthetic, with all trim levels including aluminum wheels sized up to 19 inches in diameter. An optional two-tone paint with a black roof treatment added a custom look.

The Rogue offered four versions: the entry-level Rogue S ($25,650), the popular Rogue SV ($27,340), the luxury-inclined Rogue SL ($32,000), and the Rogue Platinum ($35,430) with semi-aniline quilted leather and upscale amenities. The all-wheel-drive option cost $1,400, with Premium packages available for the SV ($2,660) and SL ($1,320). The tested Rogue SL, including the Premium Package and extra-cost paint, totaled $35,195. Inside, the test vehicle featured an Almond-colored leather interior and a standard panoramic glass sunroof. Abundant soft-touch surfaces, appealing simulated wood trim, and fabric-wrapped windshield pillars added quality to the cabin. The controls were clean and logically arranged, with the Platinum trim offering luxurious semi-aniline leather, contrast stitching, and ambient lighting.

However, the Rogue's interior had some quirks, like the old-school digital clock appearance of the climate control panel and the inclusion of a CD player, though offset by the inclusion of wireless Apple CarPlay.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox received a new grille, LED headlights, and LED daytime running lights, along with subtle changes to the rear fascia. The headlights were now bisected by trim pieces extending from the grille, giving it a sleeker look. The grille appeared more upright, flanked by large fake air intakes, making the Equinox look chunkier. The Equinox did not hide its car-based crossover roots but maintained a tall roof line and puffed-up front fascia, making it less car-like than the Ford Escape. The dashboard was creative, divided into two petal-like elements, and the materials and fit and finish were decent given the price.

The Equinox RS model featured black exterior trim, darkened 19-inch wheels, a black interior with red stitching, and a model-specific shift knob, similar to the Blazer and Traverse RS versions. The exterior trim added personality, but the black interior felt subdued.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue offered a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 181 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 181 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm. Weighing nearly 3,500 pounds, this output was adequate for daily use, with the CVT doing a decent job leveraging the available torque. The CVT was barely noticeable, featuring programmed ratios that made it resemble a traditional automatic. Paddle shifters on the steering wheel were present but largely unused.

The Rogue's adventuring capabilities were supported by AWD, up to 8.2 inches of ground clearance, and new Snow and Off-Road driving modes. Despite the power adequacy, a turbocharged engine was suggested for future iterations, with predictions leaning towards Nissan's VC-Turbo technology. Meanwhile, switching to Sport mode made the driving dynamics more responsive. The tested Rogue SL with FWD achieved 27.5 mpg on varied roads, slightly below the official EPA rating.

The Rogue's ride and handling were well-tuned, with a new architecture composed of 35% high-strength steel, strut front, and multi-link rear suspension. Intelligent Trace Control and Active Ride Control added handling satisfaction. The new Vehicle Motion Control further enhanced driving enjoyment based on driver inputs. The Rogue felt predictable, smooth, and athletic, with dramatically improved steering feel due to repositioned electric assist and fine-tuning.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox was limited to a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 170 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque. It used a six-speed automatic transmission with standard FWD or optional AWD. The Equinox offered more torque than many rivals but less horsepower compared to peers like the Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV4.

The Equinox's torque was appreciated in city driving, but the lack of horsepower was noticeable at higher speeds, where the engine felt coarse and unresponsive. The six-speed automatic transmission had rough shifts. The Equinox wasn't designed for sporty handling; the Mazda CX-5 was a better option for fun driving. However, the Equinox was decently comfortable on poorly maintained roads, though it lacked the solidity and refinement of the Honda CR-V.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue featured improved Zero Gravity seat designs, providing comfort and reducing fatigue. The seats’ effectiveness varied, but they felt more substantial than in the previous Rogue. The S trim had cloth seats with manual adjustment, SV had power-adjustable leatherette seats, SL had standard leather, while the Platinum featured premium leather. Heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats were available. The SL and Platinum trims had triple-zone automatic climate control, and rear-seat headroom and legroom were generous. The rear doors opened nearly 90 degrees, facilitating easy loading. Nissan also improved interior noise reduction and provided useful storage spaces, including a space under the center console and large door-panel pockets. Cargo space was 31.6 cubic feet in S and SV trims, 36.5 cubic feet in SL and Platinum trims with the Divide-N-Hide system, and up to 74.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, making it one of the largest in the class.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox had seating for five across two rows, with decent headroom and good second-row legroom. However, front legroom was limited, and the lack of a telescoping steering wheel made finding a comfortable driving position challenging. The tall seating position provided an unobstructed forward view, though rear visibility was hampered by the small rear window. Chevy’s interior layout clustered climate control buttons below the touchscreen, making them easy to access without digging into touchscreen menus. Cargo space was 29.9 cubic feet with rear seats up and 63.9 cubic feet with them folded, near the bottom of the segment. A power liftgate was available, but the Equinox lacked features like sliding second-row seats or cargo-area storage bins found in competitors like the Ford Escape or Nissan Rogue.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue offered competitive infotainment, starting with an 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, SiriusXM, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto in the S trim, along with a six-month trial of Nissan Concierge Personal Assistant. Higher trims added NissanConnect Services, WiFi hotspot, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant integration. Features like remote engine starting, automatic collision notification, and vehicle speed alerts were included. The SL Premium Package and Platinum trims had a 9-inch touchscreen with navigation, wireless CarPlay, upgraded voice recognition, and a Bose audio system. The voice recognition was mostly accurate, and the Bose audio delivered good sound. Platinum trim added wireless charging, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.8-inch head-up display.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, along with basic cluster displays. Higher trims featured an 8-inch touchscreen and 4.2-inch instrument-cluster screen, with navigation and a Bose audio system as options. The 8-inch touchscreen was responsive and easy to use, with smartphone-like icons. The 2022 Equinox included a plethora of USB ports but lacked a logical phone storage slot.

For the 2021 Nissan Rogue, safety was paramount. All trims came with Nissan Safety Shield 360, featuring automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Rogue had 10 airbags, a driver monitoring system, a rear-seat reminder system, rear pre-tensioning and load-limiting seatbelts, and optional adaptive cruise control from the SV trim. The ProPilot Assist system, improved with new radar and camera units, included lane-centering and a surround-view camera system. SL Premium Package and Platinum trims offered upgraded ProPilot Assist with Navi-link technology.

The 2022 Chevrolet Equinox received high scores in most IIHS crash tests, with a few “Marginal” and “Acceptable” ratings. The NHTSA awarded it a five-star overall safety rating. Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, a Safety Alert Seat, and Teen Driver system. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change alert, surround-view camera system, and parking sensors.